The present invention relates generally to spa jets, and, more particularly, to a spa jet having a nozzle rotatably supported on a wire form and plug assembly.
Hydro-therapy is a useful form of physical therapy. In hydro-therapy, patients rest in a body of water within a spa, while their anatomy is massaged by an aerated water stream flowing out of a spa jet. The spa jet provides an aerated water stream, which is directed by a nozzle, through the body of water and against the portion of the patient""s anatomy where the massaging action is desired. Such a spa jet typically includes a housing, which communicates with an inlet connected to a pressurized source of water, and a bearing mounted in an open end of the housing which supports the nozzle for rotation. Typically, the bearing used to support the nozzle is a ball bearing assembly.
While the prior art device described is considered to have been generally satisfactory for its intended purpose, there are respects in which improvement can be sought. In particular, it would be desirable to avoid the arrangement in which the rotor is supported on a ball bearing assembly. Ball bearing assemblies are liable to fail over time as water and particles in the water pass through them. Moreover, the inclusion of the ball bearing assembly during manufacturing adds expense to a product where low price to the retail consumer is very important.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spa jet, of the rotating nozzle type, in which a wire form is used to support a rotor having a plurality of nozzles and to allow the rotor to rotate with a reduced friction. Another object of the present invention is to simplify the shapes of the parts used for ease of manufacture, and to reduce the expense involved in assembling the spa jet from its components.
The present invention provides an improvement to a spa jet of the type having a housing, supplied by an upstream source of water under pressure to the interior of a spa. A rotating nozzle mounted within the housing produces a swirling effect on the skin of a person in the spa against whom the spa jet is directed. The improvement resides in structure which mounts the rotor in the housing.
More specifically, a spa jet according to an embodiment of the present invention has a housing with an inlet tube communicating with a source of water and a chamber wall defining a generally cup shaped chamber extending concentrically about a center axis downstream from the inlet tube and having a relatively enlarged downstream end. A retaining ring is connected to, and placed inside of, the chamber wall. A wire form having an annular upstream portion is fixed against axial movement between said chamber wall and the retaining ring.
The wire form has a downstream portion extending from the annular portion in the form of a shaft aligned with the axis. The spa jet has a rotor with a generally cylindrical body concentric with the axis. The body has a bearing surface extending around the shaft which supports the body for rotating. In an embodiment, the body and the bearing surface are unitary. In an alternative embodiment, the bearing surface is mounted to the body using an adhesive.
At least one nozzle passage extends through the rotor. The nozzle collects water from the inlet tube and directs the water as a water jet into the spa at an angle sufficient to impart a turning moment to said rotor about the axis. A keeper is fixedly secured to a free end of the shaft overlapping portions of at least one of the body and the bearing, the keeper retaining said body on the shaft. In an embodiment, the keeper is fixedly secured to a free end of the shaft using an adhesive. In an alternative embodiment, a portion of the shaft inserted into the keeper is knurled.
In an embodiment, the annular portion of the wire form is a helical spring, the helical spring being compressed between the retaining ring and an upstream end of the housing chamber. In an alternative embodiment, the annular portion of the wire form is a cylinder having an axial length.
The chamber wall has a radially extending slot and the retaining ring has a deformable tab. The deformable tab is fixedly mounted in the radially extending slot of the chamber wall to keep the retaining ring mounted to the housing.
In an additional embodiment, the chamber wall has a holding tab. The holding tab projects radially inward. The annular portion is positioned between the holding tab and the upstream end of the housing chamber.
In a first preferred embodiment, the rotor has two nozzle passages symmetrically offset in opposite directions and on opposite sides of said axis, at a symmetrical radial offset to said axis of rotation. In a second preferred embodiment, the rotor has seven nozzle passages symmetrically offset around said axis.
The present invention is also directed to a method for assembling a spa jet having a housing with a cup shaped chamber, a retaining ring, a wire form having an annular upstream portion and a shaft, a rotor, and a keeper. The method includes the steps of positioning the form in the housing, coupling the retainer ring to the housing so as to position the form between the retainer ring and the housing, inserting the rotor onto the shaft, and inserting the keeper onto the shaft downstream of the rotor.